Damned Fool
by Aria Aurora
Summary: Lois might not be as powerful as Wonder Woman, or as indestructible as Superman but she was no idiot. She had figured out who Batman was, she had figured out who Superman was, and for his friend to arrive at her doorstep holding flowers, right after Clark had told her he had a mission to complete, well, she clicked the pieces together.


Bruce had always thought that the toughest, and most heartbreaking action he had accomplished, was to tell Dick that Jason was dead.

Not that Jason ran away. Not that Jason maybe, or almost killed someone; but that Jason had been murdered. Jason did not die of old age, surrounded by his family. No, Jason was tricked by the Joker. Sold off by his mother. Tortured by the Joker. Lastly, he, the Batman was too late for the bomb.

Later on, the most heartbreaking action changed to telling Tim that Stephanie had died after being tortured by the Black Mask. Then the same action changed to telling his family that Damian was killed by a clone, that was created from his mother. Thus, Bruce understood Artemis more than anyone else when she went up to the West's family, and told them that their son, Wally West was gone. Not just dead, like Jason, but _gone_.

He would have volunteered to do it himself, after all, it's one thing knowing that you're holding your son's battered body in his arms, and it's another to admit to other people that he's dead. However, he knew that it would have been better coming from Artemis, just like it would be better if he had told Tim that Stephanie was dead, rather than anyone else. Bruce was actually surprised how well Artemis and Wally's family are holding. Bruce would never tell them, it is not his place, but they took their grief better than he did.

So maybe that's why he was here, dressed as Bruce Wayne, in a casual black suit with sunglasses to hide his red stricken eyes, due to not sleeping for days. Alfred had refused to give him any more coffee. Finally setting his foot down. No longer wanting to take part of Bruce's self-destruction. Naturally, Bruce made coffee by himself. Then without telling anyone, he rode from Gotham City to Metropolis early in the morning by himself. No Alfred, no Diana, no Dick or Tim, nobody but himself. He figured it would be best coming from him; he just had to wonder who would he go to first?

Should he go see his human parents, should they be the first to know when they raised him? Since Bruce was there he should also go to Kara. Should he also see Conner? Or perhaps he should just go to the Fortress of Solitude and tell Krypto; that way he would not have to handle human interaction. Bruce was never the one for emotions, he had his Robins and Batgirls to keep him alive; not just for physical sake.

Closing his eyes and sighing, he knew exactly who he had to go first. Of course, he did not like it, but it would be better coming from him. He would go to see Lois Lane from the Daily Planet and love interest of Superman.

Which is where he is now. Dressed in a suit, holding a bouquet of flowers, with thick, black sunglasses and a heart full of dread. He rang the doorbell, outside of Lois Lanes house. He heard a string of curses, glass being broken, the thumping of an angry woman being woken up before the sun was up. She yelled that nobody allows her to get sleep. That she hasn't gotten a good eight-hour sleep when she became a reporter. That her sleep schedule became even more screwed up when she and Superman, Clark started dated. She had to use every precious moment with him because he was off fighting something, or saving some other planet. A day with Clark was lucky.

"Look Clark if you're back already you could at least have the decency to—Oh"

Lois slammed the door open expecting to see Clark in his casual blue suit and glasses, holding a box of chocolates because she hates flowers and doesn't have time to take care of him. Instead, she was met up with his friend, and billionaire Bruce Wayne dressed in a black suit and holding flowers, Lois hates flowers. She can't stand the smell of flowers. The maintenance of flowers. The very fact that they attract bugs flowers. That is why Clark never got her flowers because she would just hand it back to him with a roll of her eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

Lois was already in a snippy mood when Clark announced that he had to leave to save Apokolips from Brainiac during the week of their anniversary. So she was a bit snappy with Bruce when she expected Clark to arrive at her door step at the crack of dawn. Not Bruce Wayne. Not Batman. But Clark Kent. Superman. The man she wanted to marry, not the brooding, dark best friend. Especially holding a bouquet of flowers.

Bruce didn't, couldn't say anything. his eyes fell heavy from beneath the glasses. His body slowly started shaking, his feet couldn't stay still and he dropped the flowers, letting them thump onto the floor and spread around. Lois took a step forward, reaching out to his sunglasses and gently peeling them off, seeing his distress. She was shocked when Bruce just let her take them off, he was very uptight about his personal space but was more shocked when his eyes were squeezed tight.

"Bruce?"

Lois might not be as powerful as Wonder Woman, or as indestructible as Superman but she was no idiot. She had figured out who Batman was, she had figured out who Superman was, and for his friend to arrive at her doorstep holding flowers, right after Clark had told her he had a mission to complete, well, she clicked the pieces together. Her stance was frozen. Her eyes were wide. Her mouth dropped as she stepped backwards away from Bruce. Her hands flew over her mouth as tears formed circles in her eyes.

"N-no."

Bruce turned away trying to keep his own emotions in check. Only to be met by a slap from Lois.

"You were supposed to protect him!" Lois hissed, tears forming within her eyes. "You promised me you would! You told me that he would be safe. That he's the most powerful one out of all of you. Out of anybody and here you are standing in front of me about to tell me that—"

"I'm sorry."

Bruce reached out to her, pulling her into his arms. Letting her hit his chest as much as she wanted, and for her to cry as much as she needed to. He didn't stop her fists, or cringe at her words, or held her from hitting him. He could take all the hits. He lost a friend. Failed to keep a promise. A couple of bruises would not affect him as much as the weight of his failure.

Finally, Lois had calmed down. She separated herself from Bruce's arms. She looked up at him through her teary eyes. "..Why..why did you come here?"

"I..somebody needed to tell you."

"But why you?" Lois demanded.

"..Who else would you like to hear it from? The news?"

"Point taken…" Lois sighed. If she had heard from the News that Superman was gone, the Justice League would never hear the end of her. "Do you want to come in?"

"…I…" Bruce wondered if he should. What would Clark think? If he was alive. "Alright."

Lois walked back into her house, letting Bruce follow her in. He shut the door behind him, glancing at the crushed up flowers on her welcome mat before closing the door. He walked into her living room.

"Does anybody else know?" She asked him.

"Only the League that was with him, and you. We are not sure how we should tell the world."

"You mean Kara doesn't even know? Or his parents?" Lois was shocked. She was sure that his family would be the first to know, not her.

Bruce was silent, he just looked down to his hands. "The world still needs Superman."

Lois laughed, "So what are you going to do? Dress up as him? Or hold auditions on who can be him? Don't you think he deserves more respect than that! You League members lost Superman, but the people down here, we…I lost Clark Kent. A person, before he became Superman."

"The world may be in danger if everybody knew that Superman was dead. I think you can understand that."

"I don't think you understand!" Lois threw a tissue box at him, "Did you honestly see him as nothing more than a soldier? Was that all he was to you? To the League? If you're here to use me as some sort of candidate on who can be the next Superman than go find somebody else and get out!"

Bruce let the box hit him, it was tiny and flimsy, much like the cape he was holding. He got up, taking out the very same red-cape folded nice and neatly by Alfred, and setting it on the coffee table before making his way out.

"I'm truly sorry for your loss Lois. If anything..."

"Just get out!" Lois turned towards him. Her eyes with tears, anger, and sorrow. Deep, deep bone sorrow. "don't bother telling the Kents, I'll do that myself."

"Very well." With that, Bruce left her house.

Lois slumped into her couch hearing the door shut. She looked at the red cape with his S emblem, picking it up she felt the material through her fingers. She remembered the first time he had flown her, the first time he rescued her, the first time he kissed her, and the first time she had discovered his secret identity, and the last time she saw him. She threw the cape at the wall, getting up to pour herself a glass of whiskey she looked at the cape laying on the floor. Crumbled and distorted, she scoffed and walked to her bathroom.

She never did like red.

Or flowers.

Or chocolates.

"You're a damn fool, Clark."

* * *

Hello!

So, I decided to re-write this one-shot. Mostly because the original had so many spelling and grammar mistakes that I finally said enough is enough and edited this one-shot.

Anyway, thank you for the reviews! I still think my Bruce is a bit OOC. He is such a difficult character to write! Does anyone else have issues with writing Bruce/Batman?


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